Mr M and I were considering having a babymoon, perhaps to an island nearby during the Queen’s Birthday long weekend but it didn’t come to fruition for a number of reasons. Firstly, we were indecisive and half-hearted about it as we, or specifically I already had a few weeks off in Malaysia and secondly, we really didn’t have any leave available which made going for another holiday unviable. However, I’m glad that we took some effort to go on a day trip to the Southern Highlands (where we got married) and that made me feel like we haven’t completely wasted a day of public holiday.
The weather at Southern Highlands was cooler than the burbs’ in Sydney so my warm vintage 80s’ disco sweater (that I rarely pull out) was keeping me very cosy. I wouldn’t recommend wearing a cross body bag with it as the strap may dislodge the beautiful sequins, which was a real fear of mine. I don’t think that I could ever replace this sweater with anything else as it is such a serendipitous find.
Anyway, most restaurants and shops that I wanted to visit were closed on that public holiday but we were still fortunate enough to visit a few cute places. If you’re ever going that way, here are some ideas for you.
#1. Gumnut Pattisserie in Bowral There was a queue outside the pattisserie and being that FOMO person that I was, I just had to check out what the fuss was all about. Mr M and I bought a couple of their pastries (one of them being their award winning salted caramel tart) and we scoffed them down within minutes. Absolutely the perfect morning tea, minus the tea.
#2. The Bookshop Bowral Located on the main street, this bookshop stocks some of the most delightful coffee table books around. I was in such a relaxed state that I could spend a lot longer in the shop, devouring those words and transporting myself into the realities that the books might take me.
#3. Dirty Janes Emporium in Bowral Even if you’re not into vintage, Dirty Janes is still one of those places that you wouldn’t want to miss. It’s some of the best antique markets around and it’s such a visually stimulating treasure trove. Moreover, the entire strip leading to Dirty Janes had been refurbished and it’s just a delightful environment to be in. I’m definitely going to check out the cafe and floral shop there in more detail the next time we’re there.
#4. Mossy Store in Moss Vale Everything in the store is so beautiful, well made and super inspiring, and a little hipster (in a good way). There’s definitely a focus on quality over quantity and it just made me want to strip our apartment bare and replace it with only things that we truly want in our lives. Of course this is only a fantasy lol. Although many things don’t completely matchy-match at home, I couldn’t bring myself to toss them out. Imagine the wastes and environmental impact!
#5. Made by Others in Moss Vale A beautifully curated gift store. Normally I’m not inspired by gift stores at all and a lot of them make me wrinkle my nose but at Made by Others, I couldn’t stop touching all the things. Everything felt so thoughtfully put together and I couldn’t help but to wonder what was on those makers’ minds when they created their products.
#6. Twisting Vintage in Mittagong Some of the best vintage stores I’ve ever set foot it! The shop owner did a fantastic job in putting together a beautiful selection of vintage clothing. Twisting Vintage is super inviting and all the pieces looked really unique. News flash: I did purchase a 1950s coat which was completely ‘not me’ and I can’t wait to share it with you guys!
There’s a tonne more places that I have yet to check out so hopefully one day I get to do a continuation of this post. I’m sure we would return again at some stage in the future.
x